Australian Native Plants

  Banksia sphaerocarpa var sphaerocarpa (Fox Banksia)


Banksia sphaerocarpa var sphaerocarpa photo
Banksia sphaerocarpa at Mt Trio, Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia

Photograph by MainlandQuokka. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)

Banksia sphaerocarpa var sphaerocarpa photo
Red follicles on infructescence of Banksia sphaerocarpa sphaerocarpa, cultivated at the Banksia Farm, Mt Barker

Photograph by Cas Liber. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)




FOX BANKSIA FACTS

distribution map showing range of Banksia sphaerocarpa in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Fox Banksia

Description
Banksia sphaerocarpa var. sphaerocarpa grows to a height of around two metres. Leaves are long and narrow with a pointed tip. It produces ball shaped clusters of yellow flowers in summer, autumn and winter. The fruit is a globular woody cone with up to sixty follicles. All varieties have a lignotuber which can sprout new growth after damage by bush fire.

Habitat
grows in woodland, heathland and shrubland on sandy loan or gravel soil

Distribution
B. sphaerocarpa var. sphaerocarpa is found in the south western corner of Western Australia along much of the coastal strip between Albany and Geraldton.

Growth Characteristics
Height: 0.5m - 2m
Spread: 1.5m

Wildlife Interest
birds, nectar, seed



Classification
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Proteales
Family:Proteaceae
Genus:Banksia
Species:sphaerocarpa
Variety:'var sphaerocarpa'
Common Name:Fox Banksia


Relatives in same Genus
  Banksia aculeata
  Banksia aemula
  Banksia anatona
  Banksia ashbyi
  Banksia attenuata
  Banksia audax
  Banksia baueri
  Banksia baxteri
  Banksia benthamiana
  Banksia blechnifolia
  Banksia brownii
  Banksia burdettii
  Banksia caleyi
  Banksia candolleana
  Banksia canei
  Banksia carlinoides
  Banksia chamaephyton
  Banksia coccinea
  Banksia conferta ssp conferta
  Banksia conferta ssp penicillata
  Banksia cuneata
  see A-Z list for more ...